"JERSEY'S EVENING PROPAGANDA"
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Thursday, 31 March 2011

27-year-old accused of rape

A 27-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with raping and sodomising a woman in the corridor of a hotel.

Matthew Timothy Noel, of Sydney Court, St Peter, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was granted bail pending his next appearance.

Relief Magistrate Peter Harris declined jurisdiction for the case because the charges were too serious, meaning that Mr Noel will appear before the Royal Court in about six weeks.

REMEMBER THIS ARSEHOLE? I DO

Jury finds takeaway manager guilty of rape

By Harry McRandle

A FATHER was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of sodomy by an Assize jury yesterday evening.

After deliberating for over three hours, the jury of seven women and five men passed unanimous guilty verdicts against Nacer Eddine Benyoucef.

One of his two victims, a 37-year-old woman, was in court to hear the verdict. People hugged and some cried as the decision of the jury was announced. The father of the other victim said: ‘He deserved what he got. Justice has been done.’

Benyoucef (37) had denied raping a 24-year-old woman in a flat above the Turkish Kitchen takeaway in Cheapside in April 2007. He was the manager of the food outlet at the time. He faced a second rape charge for an attack on the 37-year-old woman at her St Helier flat two days before Christmas last year. He initially faced a charge of attempted sodomy in relation to the second attack but the charge was changed to sodomy after the victim gave evidence and claimed that Benyoucef carried out the act.

• Picture: Benyoucef leaving the Royal Court after being found guilty.

"Benyoucef leaving the Royal Court after being found guilty"

I certainly remember him leaving the Royal Court after being found guilty. Guilty of a serious sexual assault which was an attempted rape, and a grave & criminal assault on the same female who was a friend of mine, but "NOT" leaving with a prison guard! He left on his own and went for a pint at the Pearson Public House in the Royal Square!!!

The (then) Bailiff, Sir Philip Bailhache, pronounced him guilty of the above charges at 8pm on a Thursday night, much to the relief of myself and Jersey Detective Jerry Bolton. However, we sat there ashen faced only a few minutes later when Sir Philip Bailhache, after proclaiming him guilty, granted him BAIL!!!

This bail was for him to get his affairs in order as there was a likelihood that he may go to prison? Then after being acquitted at appeal because it was deemed he did not receive a fair trial due to the Bailiff's directions to the jury, he then went on to rape the two women mentioned above. Even after being charged with raping the two women, he was given bail all the way through the court process at least up until the Royal Court???

Le Marquand says "It's going to provide them with greater assurance that the people they potentially employ have been checked and there is nothing known about them which would make them unsuitable to work with a particular group of people, young people, vulnerable adults, or whatever, for whom they're being employed to work with." BYE BYE LUNDY!!!

The process by which people who work with children and vulnerable adults has been stepped up, with the introduction of a new Vetting Bureau in Jersey.

The new department has access to criminal and police files from the UK, which they use to check if people are eligible to work with youngsters.

It is hoped the bureau will make the system more robust for employers and also help them feel more confident about who they are employing.

Minister for Home Affairs, Ian Le Marquand, said: "It's going to provide them with greater assurance that the people they potentially employ have been checked and there is nothing known about them which would make them unsuitable to work with a particular group of people, young people, vulnerable adults, or whatever, for whom they're being employed to work with."

Previously, Jersey only had access to Standard Level checks, which detail every conviction recorded in central records.

But now Enhanced Checks are possible, which mean an employer can find out whether a person is banned from working with children.

Kevin McKerrell, from the Jersey Vetting Bureau, said: "For employers, they will gain not only conviction information, but also information from UK police forces, intelligence information and similar sensitive information where relevant which is held by the Independent Safeguarding Authorities, so we've secured that continuing access."

With the new Vetting Bureau up and running in Jersey, those people working with Children and vulnerable adults will undergo more rigorous checks. But at the same time it is a much more simplified system, which involves filling out an application form and showing proof of identity - and for anyone who is volunteering, the checks will be free.

For Islanders working with Brownies, Scouts and Girlguides, criminal record checks have always been compulsory. But these groups welcome the news that the full range of checks will now be carried out.

Yvonne Winspear, Girl Guides' Safe from Harm Officer, said: "If you've never done anything in your life to be worried about, why should you worry about having a check, it's not really a problem, it doesn't take very long and it makes me feel quite proud usually when I do it because I know there is nothing I have to hide. I've never really found giving information a problem unless you're trying to hide something.

"I think the centralisation of information is always a good thing because you can share it with more of the interested stake holders and the important thing is it's shared with the people who need to know."

The Vetting Bureau is calling for all employers and voluntary groups to now register their staff - and make sure children across the island are properly safeguarded.

Hospital director’s salary: Health ‘broke the rules’

Comptroller and Auditor General Chris Swinson

THE Health department broke States pay rules when awarding the Island’s new Hospital director an excessive salary ‘far outside the normal structure’, according to a damning new report.
The embattled department has faced months of criticism after it was revealed that Andrew McLaughlin’s salary was costing the taxpayer £216,000 per year.

Now a new report by the States spending watchdog has revealed that Mr McLaughlin is enjoying that salary because of a series of irregularities within his contract-negotiation process.
The report, by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Chris Swinson, found that:
lMr McLaughlin is receiving an enhanced lucrative salary usually reserved for those on short-term contracts.

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

A JERSEY lawyer accused of helping his money launderer father in a multi-million-pound fraud has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Advocate Justin Peter Michel was yesterday convicted of the charge after an Assize jury returned its unanimous verdict following a complex two-week trial.

The lawyer, who allegedly between 2001 and 2009 accepted more than £1.1 million of assets from his accountant father, Peter Michel, in a bid to stop them being confiscated by the authorities, will now be sentenced by the Superior Number of the Royal Court, which sits only in the most serious of cases, on 10 May. His assets have also been frozen.

JERSEY....LAWYER GUILTY OF PERVERTING THE COURSE OF JUSTICE!!!

From my experience, and that of many others not gifted with fabulous riches, this headline could refer to most of Jersey's Lawyers. But when you steal from your own, you really are up shit creek without a paddle, or a friend come to that.

Anything goes, it's open season on those not perched on the top branches of the Oligarchy Tree. The Establishment is petrified of the revolution at hand, and is desperately trying to hoodwink the watching world into believing they prosecute villains. CHRIST, they even took Johnny Nonsense to court last Monday!

Then today we hear that our politicians are putting a stop to these exorbitant wages paid to civil servants. They really must be in a fluster curbing their own monies? Also, we have Mike Bowron ordering an investigation into bent Jersey coppers, and schools, yes, schools being looked into! How odd that this all happens in an election year, then after the elections, business as usual.

We have seen it all before I'm afraid, move along people, nothing to see here....

The pay packets of senior civil servants have been published for the first time - revealing that 41 managers are paid more than £150,000 a year.

The figures have been revealed in a review by the States spending watchdog.

And the watchdog have concluded that the States needs to change the way it recruits and pays senior civil servants.

It says that while the States generally adhere to guidelines not to overpay top managers, they did break these rules when they appointed interim hospital director last year. Andrew McLaughlin was earning a substantial £285,000 a year.

Health boss, Andrew McLaughlin's salary has already been revealed, and received a heated reaction from taxpayers angry at such a high pay packet, particularly in such tough economic times. He was appointed on a substantial £285,000 per year - more than all of the top civil servants above.

He was hired in May on a six month contract and was being paid £4,600 a week - though the total cost to taxpayers, including agency fees, was actually more than £5,500 per week - making up his £285,000 a year pay.

The Senator who commissioned the report says this happened because individual departments are negotiating their own appointments, when they should be going through the central Human Resources system.

Senator Ben Shenton, from the Public Accounts Committee, said: "Well obviously it's wrong, and things have to change and there's numerous things within the States that need to change and they need to change as a matter of urgency, and perhaps as politicians if we could stop debating ourselves all the time and actually get down to the nitty gritty and sort things out the island would be a better place."

Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur said: "Procedures need to be tightened up and people need to be aware of those procedures and I'm confident that with the publication of this report matters will improve in that respect, but it is I repeat a very isolated incident."

The Health Department have now employed Mr McLaughlin on a lower, but still impressive, £216,000, for a two year contract.

His appointment was made in response to a critical report on how the hospital was run.
Independent consultants say improvements have been made since he was recruited - so the Health Minister insists it is money well spent.

THE police will try to find millions of pounds that they suspect drug baron Curtis Warren has hidden after the Privy Council rejected his appeal yesterday.
In a statement issued just after the decision by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council rejecting the Warren appeal, the police and Law Officers said they would seek to recoup the £5m investigation and prosecution costs.
Warren and five others were jailed in 2009 for conspiring to import £1m worth of cannabis into Jersey two years earlier. The appeal focused on the bugging of a car being driven through France, Belgium and Holland to collect the drugs.
Reading the joint statement outside Police Headquarters, police chief Mike Bowron said: ‘With Warren and his co-conspirators back behind bars and with all legal proceedings complete, proceedings will now continue to confiscate his criminally-obtained assets.’

The Jersey Police cannot even work out that the four coppers who beat me, and denied it, then lied in court to save their own skins!And that was after I gave them a transcript and a tape recording of the incident with the time and date on it!!!

A JURY has been told not to convict a Jersey lawyer of perverting the course of justice based simply on the sins of his father.
Justin Peter Michel is accused of helping his accountant father, Peter Michel, in a multi-million-pound fraud in a bid to stop his wealth being confiscated by the authorities.

Following the Island’s most complex money-laundering investigation, Peter Michel was jailed for six years in 2007 for a catalogue of offences and had just short of £10 million confiscated.
For the past two weeks his son Justin, an advocate, has been on trial accused of plotting with his father to cover up some of his wealth by accepting more than £1.1 million in cash, property, shares, artwork and sports cars.

Monday, 28 March 2011

Jersey Child Abuse Scandal: Parallels To The Hollie Greig Case

In my blog of March 23rd I referred to Dr Ian Oliver, the Chief Constable of Grampian Police between 1990 and 1998. Dr Oliver left office following a damning report into his force's investigation of the murder of a nine-year-old boy by a known paedophile. The author of the report was Graham Power, who was then Deputy Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police.

In 2000, Graham Power was appointed Chief Officer of Jersey Police and in 2007 he and his deputy, Lenny Harper, began an investigation into allegations of abuse at Haut de la Garenne children's home which prompted hundreds of former residents to come forward with evidence.

In August 2008, Lenny Harper retired and was replaced by David Warcup from Northumbria Police, a graduate of the Common Purpose Matrix course.

In November 2008, Graham Power was suspended and Warcup became Acting Chief of Police and immediately began to downplay the abuse allegations and to condemn the actions of Power and Harper. By the time Power reached retirement age in July 2010 the disciplinary proceedings against him had been abandoned.

In April 2009 prominent Jersey politician Senator Stuart Syvret, a long term campaigner on Child Protection issues, was arrested for an alleged breach of the Data Protection Act. In November 2010 he was sentenced to ten weeks in prison for contempt of court. His court battles continue although he has been refused Legal Aid.

These very disturbing issues are simply being ignored by the media in Jersey.

The similarities to the Hollie Greig case are uncanny: failure by the police to properly investigate extremely serious allegations; silence in the mainstream media; persecution of those who attempt to bring the case to the public attention; links to Common Purpose.

There is one key difference. In Jersey there were at least 3 prominent public servants who were brave enough to speak up and to attempt to do the right thing.

WELL WELL, now we really do have something to worry about on this already fabulously corrupted little rock? Bent Cops, Law officers and judges given free rein to abuse the system at will, not that that has changed any, other than now it is official!

Christ they can start doctoring trial tapes again now, before they send them for transcription. And what of that re-writer of statements? Fat Boy David Harrison? He is bound to be called back up for C.I.D work now that anyone with an Official Jersey Badge has the go-ahead to act as corruptly as they please! Throw a few ringers on a jury perhaps, hell, the skies are the limit now....

Curtis Warren: Drugs baron's appeal rejected

Related Stories

Jailed drugs baron Curtis Warren has lost a legal battle that would have led to his conviction being overturned.

Warren, from Liverpool, and five others were convicted of plotting to smuggle cannabis with a street value of £1m into Jersey.
The 47-year-old argued he should be freed because police in Jersey obtained key evidence by illegally bugging a car driven by his right-hand man.
However, his latest appeal was rejected by five law lords.
In February Warren's QC told the Supreme Court there was an abuse of process and argued a court stay - a suspension of proceedings - should have been granted.
The latest appeal concerns the Court of Appeal of Jersey's refusal to grant a stay.
In its judgement, Jersey's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council said a successful bid would "inevitably lead to the quashing of the convictions".
During Warren's trial, it was disclosed detectives wanted to bug his right-hand man Jonathan Welsh's car as he drove through France, Belgium and Holland to work on the drugs deal.
The other countries refused permission but Jersey officers bugged the car anyway. The illegally-recorded audio, although condemned by the trial judge, was admitted as evidence.European bid
Despite rejecting the appeal, five Law Lords said there had been a "strong case" for granting the stay because the police were "unquestionably guilty of serious prosecutorial misconduct".
In a statement, they said: "The board stresses its condemnation of the police misconduct in this case. It was a sustained and deliberate act of law-breaking.

Warren was placed under surveillance after arriving on the island in 2007

"The outcome of this appeal should not be seen to condone or overlook such behaviour.
"It should not be taken by Jersey police as any kind of signal that they can repeat this kind of conduct with impunity."
Speaking after the judgement, Warren's barrister Tony Barraclough said: "I have discussed it with him and he wants to go to Europe.
"Now that he has been knocked back on this there is the confiscation hearing - they want around £200m from him."
Warren was jailed for 13 years in December 2009. He had recently been released from a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking when he was arrested.
In a joint statement after the judgement was released, States of Jersey Police and HM attorney general of Jersey said they were pleased the men would be staying in prison.
"Warren, the ringleader of the plot, is a prolific, career criminal who made himself extremely wealthy by trading in illegal drugs, targeting some of the most vulnerable in society and bringing misery to countless families," they said.
An independent inquiry into the force's conduct in obtaining evidence is currently ongoing.
"We await the outcome of that inquiry," they added.

One man has died after a high-speed Condor ferry and fishing boat collided between Jersey and France.

Two other men - aged 37 and 40 - had to be dramatically rescued after the crash, east of the Minquiers. They were treated for shock at Jersey hospital and have now been discharged.

The Condor Vitesse was on route from St Malo to Jersey when the collision happened with a French fishing boat - believed to be called La Marquise', at just before 8am this morning.

Passengers on board the Vitesse have described scenes of "panic" on board the ferry after a huge bang when they hit the fisherboat.

Tim and Marina Prevel, from Guernsey, were on board. Tim said: "There was an almighty bang when the ferry hit the boat. I wouldn't want to go through that again - everyone started panicking that the ferry would sink; that's what you think is going to happen".

Marina said: "We saw the fishermen in the water and they were screaming for help. It was horrible and very scary".

The Captain of the Vitesse called for medical assistance from the passengers and a doctor offered his services. The doctor then transferred to the fishing boat and gave medical assistance.

At the time of the collision reports say that visibility was down to just 30 metres.

Jersey Police said: "The incident occurred northwest of Chausey (French waters) and is being dealt with by the French authorities at this time.

"It is believed that all persons have been accounted for from both boats and that three persons from the French fishing vessel were recovered from the water although the extent of any injuries to those casualties is still being established.

"There are no reported casualties from the Condor Vitesse."

Simon Edsall, Managing Director of Condor Ferries, said: "I can confirm that all passengers are accounted for and uninjured. The crew acted fast to rescue two of the fishermen and co-operated with a further fishing boat to recover the third. Our thoughts are with the injured fisherman and we will continue to work in close cooperation with all authorities involved in this incident."

Saturday, 26 March 2011

This is one of those Jersey In-Justice stories that is not quite as straight forward as it first appears! Having said that, the right thing was finally done in the Royal Court yesterday whereby the charge was dismissed.

I will be looking into this case in some detail over the forthcoming week, as it encompasses a whole multitude of sins and shenanigans. I was contacted by the Le Corre family and asked to look into this case in some depth. I spent three weeks going over the evidence, and made four visits to the family concerned. It was after the third visit that I was finally able to work out exactly what was going on in this case, and why?

The first piece of advice I gave Nathanial le Corre, was to fire his lawyer!!! The lawyer had told Nathanial to plead guilty from the outset as the case COULD NOT BE WON. Nathanial being clueless about the law, and a trusting decent guy, did as he was instructed by his lawyer. So, no work left for the lawyer to do except spend twenty minutes or so preparing his mitigation to the offence. Yet, Nathanial Le Corre was presented with a bill of nearly £6,000 and it would probably have been a couple of grand more if he had not fired his lawyer when he did! Mr le Corre was told he was not eligible for legal aid, and was also told that he had to have a lawyer?

Nathanial Le Corre, being the victim of a Grave & Criminal Assault, then found himself in court after the Jersey Police had twice refused to charge him? Finally being indicted by non other than the Attorney General himself, Tim Le Cocq. Why this witch hunt to get Nathanial charged? All will be revealed later in the week.

School league tables ‘counter-productive’

Education Minister James Reed (second from right) at the hearing

SCHOOL league tables are counter-productive and can breed poor performances among pupils and teachers, according to the Education Minister.
Deputy James Reed told a Scrutiny Panel yesterday that he did not believe Jersey’s schools should be compared ‘like for like’ when it came to GCSE results because it could lead underperforming schools to lose confidence.
The meeting was called by the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny panel following the publication of all of the Island’s school results earlier this year by civil servant John Mills – via a Freedom of Information request and released against the department’s wishes – which showed that some schools were achieving well below others.

Volunteers from Jersey Women's Refuge are working to change people's attitudes in dealing with domestic violence.

Last year, Jersey Police dealt with almost a 1,000 domestic incidents. More than 280 of these were classed as domestic assaults. In other words, domestic violence accounts for 29% of all assaults reported to police.

The Women's Refuge campaign, Behind Closed Doors, has helped hundreds of women to reach out for help, and they're now training others to help victims of domestic abuse in a series of special workshops.

Manager of the Women's Refuge, Lorna Kearney said: "One in four women actually experience domestic violence or domestic abuse in their lifetime so it's important that we have workshops like this so it's made an awareness around the island and that there are places for people to go and help there for them if needed."

The Refuge has drafted an island-wide strategy, which it will take to the States. It aims to change attitudes and raise awareness of abuse to ensure victims of domestic violence no longer suffer in silence.

Related Stories

Residents could soon have the right to request information from public bodies in Jersey.

The Freedom of Information Act already exists in the UK and has now been drafted in Jersey.
It allows people to access information from public bodies such as the States, with some planned exceptions such as public utility companies.
Requests costing less than £50 in labour will be free but others may cost up to £500.
If it costs more than that to gather the information, the requests may be refused.
Constable Juliette Gallichan's committee drew the Jersey law up.
She said it would make the government more transparent and hoped it would encourage more interest in politics.'Closer feeling'
"This gives a right to information unless that information is in the absolute exempt category. But public, official and statistical information, the costs of doing various things can be accessed, but not information like 'does Mrs Smith have a house in St Mary?'"
"Knowing that people can get to the heart of the information they are looking for will make them realise that the government is not always trying to hoodwink them or to keep them in the dark but certainly if a government is going to be open then hopefully that will engender some closer feeling with the community."
James Leaton-Gray, who is in charge of the BBC department that looks after Freedom Of Information requests, thinks the law will be a good thing for Jersey.
"It is part of balancing up of making sure the government you elect can be held accountable," he said.
"But it will be inconvenient and sometimes expensive for that government and in the end when it is expensive, that is your money it is spending."
In the UK, the MPs' expenses scandal arose from a Freedom of Information request.

Education are accused of ‘conspiracy of silence’

John Mills appears before the Scrutiny panel

THE Island’s schoolchildren and taxpayers are being let down by the Education department, which is covering up poor school exam results with ‘a conspiracy of silence’.
That is the claim of former Policy and Resources chief officer John Mills, who now wants a complete review and restructuring of the Island’s education system.

Speaking at a Scrutiny Panel hearing convened to investigate his claims, Mr Mills, who recently used a Freedom of Information request to force Education to reveal their results for GCSEs taken last year, also said that schools were underfunded and head teachers were not being given enough control.
He added that if resources were the problem, the funding currently given to fee-paying schools in the Island should be redirected towards States schools which need it more.

A JERSEY lawyer has denied helping his accountant father in a multi-million-pound fraud to stop the family’s wealth being confiscated.

Advocate Justin Peter Michel is on trial in the Royal Court accused of perverting the course of justice by helping Peter Michel cover up his wealth in a bid to stop it being taken away by the authorities.
Following the Island’s most complex money-laundering investigation ever, Peter Michel was jailed for six years for a catalogue of offences and had just short of £10 million confiscated.

Giving evidence before the Assize jury of four women and eight men on Wednesday, his son Justin, of Trinity, said he had never even spoken to his father about the issue of confiscation let alone colluded with him.

Thursday, 24 March 2011

The boy was terrified that he would be thrown from the top of Minden Place car park

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A MAN who pretended to be a policeman and threatened to throw a terrified 18-year-old boy from the top of a multi-storey car park in a vigilante-style revenge attack has been jailed.

Barry John Dale (36) had originally been given 240 hours’ community service in December following the attack last July.

But yesterday the Court of Appeal, chaired by Dame Heather Steel, decided that sentence was too lenient and increased it to 12 months in prison.

Dale had pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer, false imprisonment and grave and criminal assault when originally sentenced. He attacked the boy after the teenager had stolen his girlfriend’s mobile phone.

The boy was terrified that he would be thrown from the top of Minden Place car park!!! SO FUCKING WHAT?

Serves the thieving little scumbag right if you ask me. Natural Justice....bet he won't steal anything again! But, what of the thief? what punishment did he receive through our fabulous judicial system? I sure as hell have not heard anything! could anyone enlighten us?

If he was not punished through the courts, WHY NOT? What goes around, comes around, and he got his sooner than he bargained for. If he was not a thief, this would not have happened.

As so often happens in Jersey's courts, the original victim receives far greater punishment than the instigator or aggressor! This deluded train of thinking must stop, another man in jail whilst the cause of the incident sits by laughing his fucking arse off....

A DEFIANT mother has vowed to fight to keep her home after her paedophile partner lost a last-ditch appeal against a massive court costs order.

Leonard Vandenborn – serving 12 years for a series of sex attacks against two girls – this week launched a Court of Appeal bid to quash a £190,000 costs order and save his family from being forced to sell their home.

But the family are now facing an uncertain future after the judges threw out the appeal.
And their misery was compounded when the court ordered Vandenborn to also foot the costs of the appeal – believed to be up to £10,000.

The last time we aired this topic, a lady purporting to be Helen Bailey left a comment. She also stated in the comment that we did not have "the knowledge of the extensive corruption that exists in Jersey" which I personally found rather humorous. So we invited her side of the story, alas, we have heard nothing since!

Hellie said...

I am the "Deluded fiancee". I am not deluded. Unfortunately, because of legal reasons, you do not have all the facts on the background to this case, nor the knowledge of the extensive corruption that exists in Jersey. It is impossible to have a fair trial here. I would also like to add that it was me who pushed to have our wonderful miracle babies, as we were together 30 years ago but were split up and had no chance to have babies together then. I knew the women who accused him when they were children, and they were seriously screwed up then. Don't judge a situation without all the facts. Nobody who knows him believes he is guilty.

A Jersey deputy has defended his allegation that job offers for the new States of Jersey Development Company, were made before the recruitment procedures were complete.

Deputy Phil Rondel, who himself sat on the recruitment panel, is not going public on his evidence, but says he will tell scrutiny.

Earlier this week it emerged that members of Jersey's Appointment Commission were threatening to resign after Deputy Rondel made comments in the States implying that job offers for the States of Jersey Development Company were a foregone conclusion.

His outburst angered members of the Appointments Commission, such as Ken Soar, who said the allegations were completely unfounded.

The St John Deputy refuted claims he had acted in an unprofessional manner by bringing the issues to light in a public forum, and said the information was not brought to his attention until after the recruitment process had been completed.

Deputy Rondel said: "Over a period of time I thought there's things here which aren't right and I have to raise them at the appropriate time and the appropriate time is in the States chamber it's not to be discussed with others, these things, there's a place for everything."

The new company were due to take over from WEB, the Waterfront Enterprise Board in April.

But that transition has now been put on hold while Scrutiny review the appointments procedure.

THE splendidly titled Baroness Ford of Cunninghame in North Ayrshire will by now be starting to appreciate some of the special qualities that make Jersey that little bit different.
Far from rubber-stamping her appointment as chairman of the newly established Jersey Development Company, the quango created after much heart-searching and several debates to oversee future public-private construction projects, the States have blocked it with what amounts to a demand for more information about all of the proposed JDC non-executive directors and how they were chosen.
Now the whole proposal for the composition of the board is to be reviewed by the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, chaired by another rather formidable lady, Senator Sarah Ferguson. That is a sensible decision of the House which will be welcomed by the Island public if not by the Council of Ministers, who have been presented with another challenge to their authority as well as another obstacle on the rocky road towards establishing the JDC as a replacement, and one with even wider powers, for the unlamented Waterfront Enterprise Board.
It need not, though, be seen as any kind of slight towards Baroness Ford. If the high-flying Labour peer has done the necessary research into Jersey’s postwar history of both property development and the management of public resources, particularly on the St Helier waterfront, she will understand fully why many politicians, reflecting the similar concerns of their constituents, should be so wary about handing so much control over so many community assets to anyone, let alone someone from outside the Island.
The Scrutiny Panel, and by extension the rest of the States, will rightly want to explore whether Baroness Ford’s experience as chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Park Legacy Committee and Scotland’s Irvine Bay Regeneration Company and as a senior director of Serco, the private company now engaged in the outsourcing of public services around Britain, does indeed make her, as the Treasury Minister suggests, an ideal candidate for a tiny island with a fragile environment already facing huge pressures generated by the interplay of politics and property development.
The States were right, too, to bridle at any suggestion that they were being presented by the Treasury with a fait accompli and to take the opportunity to remind the ministers that the Assembly remains supreme. The creation of the Jersey Development Company is a massive gamble and it is in everyone’s interests, including those of its board members, that it should start life with the fullest possible public confidence in the credentials of those running it.
There is no reason to suppose that Baroness Ford will not be appointed chairman in due course. She will be better placed to carry out the role if she realises from the start that one of her main challenges will be to help the JDC win the trust of an understandably sceptical Jersey public.

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

Curtis Warren could walk next week

On Monday (28th March) the UK Privy Council will announce their verdict on whether Judge Sir Richard Tucker was right to allow illegally obtained evidence to convict Warren and his gang in Jersey.

Warren 47, once Interpol's most wanted man, was sentenced to 13 years in jail in December 2009, for conspiracy to import cannabis into Jersey.

But the evidence used to convict Curtis and five others was obtained illegally by Jersey Police.

In February this year the UK Privy Council sat for two days hearing evidence from Warren's QC, Orlando Pownall. Mr Pownall argued without the illegally obtained evidence, Jersey police had nothing to convict Warren.

But the Crown's QC David Farrer said Judge Sir Richard Tucker had made the correct decision and the legal system's integrity was never in doubt.

Since February's hearing Jersey Police have employed the Hampshire constabulary to conduct an independent inquiry into the events surrounding the decision to bug a hire car used by Warren's co-convicted in France, despite French authorities refusing permission.

If the Privy Council agree the evidence was not permissible, then Warren could walk free from Belmarsh prison. A decision in Warren's favour could also set in motion future Privy Council hearings from anyone convicted by illegally obtained evidence.

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Information battle is almost won

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JEP spin doctor, John Averty

﻿

AS the old saying goes, knowledge is power. That, in essence, is why those who hold high political office have often tried instinctively to control the flow of information, the better to hold on to their positions and influence events.

To the great benefit of the democratic process, however, it is becoming ever harder for such attitudes to be maintained. The technology which has ushered in the information age is rendering obsolete old assumptions about how information should be shared, opinions formed and public policy shaped.

Meanwhile, in many jurisdictions freedom of information legislation has already enshrined the rights of the citizen to request documents and data from their authorities and reasonably expect to receive them without undue hindrance.

Now, finally, Jersey is to join them, with the almost certain introduction of a new law to replace the current voluntary code by which the States operate. The draft law, just published by the Privileges and Procedures Committee, still has to be approved by the full Assembly, but it is next to unthinkable that that will not now happen, especially in an election year.

Privileges president Juliette Gallichan is to be congratulated on bringing to the point of fruition a complex and challenging project which has taken something like a decade to complete.
Unsurprisingly, this newspaper has been a strong supporter from the start of a campaign which has had to overcome philosophical resistance, obfuscation and delaying tactics on its way towards ultimate success.

The media have a clear interest in public information being made as widely available as possible, but they have no monopoly on the uses of a law which will also help politicians, researchers, campaign groups, businesses and private individuals, as well as providing an antidote to the creeping curse of political spin.

Contrary to what opponents of a Freedom of Information Law would have us believe, its introduction should not be a costly or unwieldy addition to the responsibilities of public bodies. At heart, it should mean a simple matter of their learning to start from the assumption that the answer is yes instead of no when presented with a reasonable request for information they hold, and there is no obvious reason why much more time and energy should be expended by civil servants in meeting requests than in attempting to justify their denial.

The voluntary code has been an important staging post, but could never be as effective as the force of law in bringing about the required change in the public sector mentality.

It has been a long time coming, but the new law will be both a valuable practical tool and an important symbol of a maturing relationship between the Island authorities and the people they are appointed to serve.

Dead man in Harbour was French visitor

The man was spotted in water close to the New North Quay

A MAN found dead in the Harbour yesterday may have fallen in to the water after a night out with friends police said this morning.
The body of Antoine Arcade, a 41-year-old from St Malo, was seen in the Harbour and reported to police on Monday.
It is thought that Mr Arcade was visiting the Island with three friends on a day trip from France.

Developer given two weeks to prove he is not bankrupt

Frank and Sue Venton

A DEBT-ridden Jersey property developer who owes nearly £7 million has been given two weeks to get his finances in order as he tries to avoid being declared bankrupt.
Frank Venton appeared in the Royal Court yesterday facing an application on behalf of creditors to confirm him and his business as en désastre.

But Mr Venton persuaded the court that a planned property development in Alderney could help him settle his debts and was granted two weeks to prove that he could sort out his affairs.
Last year, a court case involving Mr Venton breaching the housing law saw former Housing Minister Terry Le Main forced to resign when it emerged he had written supportive letters to the court.

Monday, 21 March 2011

MORE than ten years after the issue was first raised, Islanders are within just a few steps of having access to a Freedom of Information Law.

The draft document has been lodged with the States and will be debated later this year.

If approved, it will bring a close to more than a decade of work and campaigning by politicians and the media.

The law is intended to replace Jersey’s code of practice on freedom of information and give the public the legal right to obtain information from all States departments and authorities.

Several politicians have been involved in drafting the law, versions of which are in place in more than 50 countries, since the Privileges and Procedures Committee was first asked to look into it in 2003.

Its current chairman, Juliette Gallichan, the Constable of St Mary, said that she was satisfied to have finally lodged the draft paper.

A JERSEY lawyer accused of helping his accountant father in a multi-million-pound fraud has gone on trial in the Royal Court.

Advocate Justin Peter Michel is alleged to have helped to disguise Peter Michel’s wealth in a bid to stop it being confiscated by the authorities.
Following the Island’s most complex money-laundering investigation ever, the accountant was jailed for six years for a catalogue of offences and had just short of £10m confiscated – less than a third of what prosecutors had said should be taken from him.

Justin Michel denies one charge of perverting the course of public justice between 5 July 2001, when the police investigation into his father started, and 31 October 2009, and claims that the property he was given was payment for legal and other services.

Sunday, 20 March 2011

I would kindly ask readers to forgive my idiocy when posting a story yesterday entitled "Yet Another Jersey Paedophile - Justin Andre Ybert".

There was NO MISTAKE with the original story, the mistake I made was in trusting that Jersey's three main stream media (MSM) outlets (JEP, BBC Jersey & Cover-up TV) would, between them, keep the public informed (online) of the possibility of dangerous child predators in Jersey. Clearly this was not the case as a good friend had to email me to inform me of the "THREE OTHER" cases in our only "discredited" newspaper, the J.E.P yesterday.

Clearly, to our local MSM, paedophilia is not that important an issue in Jersey news, this is why we have citizens media. The disgraceful and crass manner in which our local reporters fail, time and again, to report these most important of issues is bewildering to say the very least. They are more than aware that much of the important news in Jersey is read on blogs these days, and their gross failing to warn the Jersey public of these predatory scum is unconscionable.

For the benefit of Jersey's online readers, who refuse to buy "THE RAG" I reproduce what should have been show online by the "discredited" media of Jersey.

I was speaking to someone not solong ago, who had been forced to go to Southampton for an operation. This operation was to attempt to correct the monumental cock up of an operation performed in Jersey.

This person, whilst in Southampton, spoke to a number of surgeons of which one stated that the Southampton hospital had an "arrangement" with Jersey. The "arrangement" was that Southampton hospital would sort out all of Jersey's botched operations!

When asking about legal action to sue the States of Jersey hospital (ie. second opinions on botched operation) this person was told that NO ONE from Southampton hospital would volunteer any information for a legal claim against the States of Jersey. And likewise, would not offer any criticism of any surgeon in the Jersey hospital.

This information leaves me with one question: What are Southampton getting out of this "arrangement"?

Saturday, 19 March 2011

Next stop- the Middle East

A delegation of politicians and finance industry leaders from Jersey are heading for the Middle East to drum up business.

The delegation, led by Deputy Chief Minister Philip Ozouf, is flying to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. They're due to arrive on Sunday.

Meanwhile a similar flag-waving exercise in India has been a big success according to Jersey Finance boss Geoff Cook. He says the island has built on what were already strong links. The island has opened offices in India and the opportunity for new business is now said to be strong.

During the visit to Delhi it had been planned to sign a tax agreement between Jersey and India, but that has not yet happened. Mr Cook says the delay won't have any impact on business.

"TIEAs take a number of months to prepare and so it is understandable that on this occasion the formal signing could not be completed to coincide with our visit to India," he said.

"We have every confidence that the agreement will soon be in place and when it is, the platform for growing business between Jersey and India will be strengthened further."

States ‘failing workers’

JACS Director David Witherington

JERSEY’S most vulnerable workers are being let down by a States which has failed to introduce basic employment rights, according to a critical new report.
In its annual report, the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service said that it was unacceptable that the Island still had no maternity and paternity provisions or Discrimination Law.
New legislation to introduce provisions for new mothers and fathers is still waiting law drafting and is likely to be years away from implementation.
And the Discrimination Law, which would significantly improve rights for workers, has been shelved because of States cutbacks.

PUBLISHING school league tables and exam results has a divisive effect and should not be practised in future, according to Education Minister James Reed.
In answer to a question from Deputy Montfort Tadier in the States, Deputy Reed said: ‘One member of the public chose to request a large amount of raw data in GCSE results. That was provided to them.
‘It was unfortunate and confirmed my concerns that some form of league table has had a divisive effect identifying certain schools facing unique challenges. In our education system these league tables are not and should not be practised in future.’
Last month the JEP revealed how former chief officer John Mills had obtained previously secret figures for GCSE and A-level results in Jersey under the Freedom of Information code.

About Me

MY OTHER BLOG
http://therightofreply.blogspot.com/
http://ianlevans.blogspot.com/
I am a carpet fitter who came to Jersey in 1988. I have been persecuted incessantly by the police and judiciary since my arrival. reason being I am big, ugly, speak my mind and my face does not fit as I will not be controlled, by anyone. It is hard to imagine a place like this outside of Zimbabwee, but here we are, the good old Channel Islands. A haven for inbred child abuser's and corrupt thieves. So we fight against this vile regime with all our might, and we will overcome, as Jersey's leaders will eventually drown in, and choke on, their own filth. No Retreat, No Surrender!!!.................................
"If a man lives, it is of certainty he will die. Therefore, it is foolish to think of death as if he were a foe to be vanquished. He will come when he will come."